Plants to Dye For: Wrap Up 2023

I'm closing up my atelier for the season, and taking a look back at all our indigo dye projects. It was the first time that I had ever worked with an indigo dye vat, and I'm hooked. The thrill of seeing fabric go from bright green to streaked blue to deep blue is such a thrill. It is the perfect confluence of science, art and magic! As part of the indigo project, I also tried overdyeing previously dyed fabric with indigo, and tried a variety of resist dyeing techniques, including Shibori, tie dye, and batik (using glue instead of wax). Following is a wrap up of our Plants to Dye For season in 2023.

Cotton (left to right): one, two, and three dips in the indigo dye vat (day one)

Getting Started

People have been dyeing with indigo for thousands of years. To prepare for a year of indigo dyeing, we tapped into all that experience and learned all we could to get started.

• A Brief History of Indigo Dye

• Studio Updates: Tooling Up for Indigo

Projects and Videos

Dyeing with indigo is completely different from the dyeing we have done up to this point. New frontiers!

• Dye Project: Mixing the Indigo Dye Vat (video)

• Dye Project: Basic Indigo Dyeing (video)

• Dye Project: Indigo Overdye (video)

• Dye Project: Indigo Resist Dyeing

Linen and cotton: one dip in the indigo dye vat (day four)

Silk: two dips in the indigo dye vat (day four)

Movies, Articles and Books

Movies, articles, and books provided information to help us get started and learn more. It was astounding to learn that humans have been dyeing with indigo for at least 6,000 years, and probably more.

• Indigo - A World of Blue: documentary by Maiwa textiles. This is where I first saw the transformation from green to blue during the dyeing process.

• Indigo: Egyptian Mummies to Blue Jeans, by Jenny Balfour-Paul. London: British Museum Press, 2016.

• Oldest Known Indigo Dye Found in Peru, podcast by Cynthia Graber. Scientific American, September 14, 2016.

• People Have Been Dyeing Fabric Indigo Blue for 6,000 Years, by Steph Yin. The New York Times, September 16, 2016.

• Textilia Linnaeana: Global 18th Century Textile Traditions & Trade, by Viveka Hansen, fifth volume in the Mundus Linnae Series, issued by the IK Foundation & Company (London 2017). Multiple references to indigo appear throughout the book.

• Indigo and Blue: A Marriage Made in Heaven, by Jenny Balfour-Paul. Textile Museum Journal 47 (January 2020): pages 160–85.

• Indigo Dye, see the History section. Wikipedia.

Cotton: logwood, cochineal, and weld overdyed with indigo (day three)

Inspiration

The internet is filled with projects for dyeing with indigo, overdyeing, and resist dyeing. You can easily find inspiration on Pinterest, YouTube, or your favorite media platform. Here are a couple of videos that inspired me.

• DIY Shibori Tie Dye Techniques Tutorial (For Beginners), by Sarah Johnson.

• Glue Resist with Indigo and Washable Glue, by Katherine Rual. Onyx Art Studios.

Cotton and linen: Shibori (day 2)

Cotton and linen: Tie Dye (day 2)

Cotton and linen: Batik using glue (day 2)

Resources

Favorite resources for indigo dye, supplies, and information.

• Maiwa School of Textiles: shop for dyes and supplies, and learn how to dye with indigo.

• Dharma Trading Company: shop for dyes, textile detergent, fabric, and supplies, and learn how to dye with indigo.

• Amazon.com: source of the sealable bucket that was used for the dye vat. Shop for dyes, fabric, yarn, and other supplies.

• Webstaurant Store : source of the 36-inch long wooden paddle that was used to stir the indigo dye vat. Similar stir sticks are are available from other sources, but this one was sturdy, affordable, and beautiful. Make your own if you are so inclined!

• Jacquard Products : source of the Indigo Tie Dye Kit. The kit is available from other providers, and other kits and supplies are available. Based on experience, the Jacquard kit is a great way to get started!

• "Indigo Dye Kit Instruction Manual", by Jacquard Products.

• "Indigo Quick Start Instructions", by Jacquard Products.

• Maiwa How to Dye with Indigo (A World of Blue) – downloadable.

• "The Maiwa Guide to Natural Dyes" (use CTRL+F to find content about indigo).

• Indigo Workshop, by Michel Garcia. Natural Dye Workshop II, by Studio Galli. This link changes periodically, so you may have to search for it. The material is worth it if you can find it!

Thank you for joining me on this journey in blue! To see what we did last year, see Plants to Dye For: Wrap Up 2022.